Vena's Fizz House — Restaurant in Westbrook

We contacted Vena’s on a Saturday in hopes to schedule a class for the upcoming Monday - just two days away. We were camping in the area during a rainy time and we wanted to find some indoor fun before having to return home and back to mundane life. I was so delighted to get a prompt reply from Mary Jo who was ready to schedule a Monday afternoon class with Steve, one of the owners of Vena’s. My husband and I certainly know our way around a good cocktail but lately we’ve been mocktail curious — not to mention the long drive back home afterwards. Luckily Vena’s offers classes for both cocktails and mocktails so we opted for the class called the Faux Happy Hour. The location for the class was set in their workspace in Westbrook which is located in a beautifully restored textile mill building along a raging river of rapids (thanks to all that rain). Steve was at the ready when we arrived and welcomed us warmly. A world-traveler who has called Maine home for about 3 decades, Steve really enjoys what he does and you can tell he brings flavors (literally and figuratively) from all his past experiences and travels into the array of bitters and tinctures and cocktails that he designs. The class was a great education on the world of bitters and the general philosophy of crafting tasty concoctions. There was even opportunity to experiment a bit! By the end of it Steve felt like a new friend and we plan to take another class when we are in the area again. Maybe we will even try...

A quirky cocktail bar with a historic flair.

Located on the outskirts of the Old Port district here in Portland, Maine - Vena's is a very unassuming little building. Inside, there is a shop for buying vintage cocktail materials and a seating area complete with bar for enjoying the many beverages on the Fizz House menu.

The drinks vary from the non-alcoholic variety (for the whole family) to the alcoholic. My favorite drink there is called the Hemingway Frappe, which consists of absinthe (made by Tree Spirits here in Maine), mint, and simple syrup. However, the fact that you can get colonial-era cremes and phosphates is a really neat aspect of this establishment you won't experience anywhere else.

The seating is very limited, however, and if you're looking for parking in the area you are going to be out of luck much of the time. Still, if you can come in and experience what Vena's has to offer, I doubt you'll be disappointed. Would...

Wonderful shop with unforgettable cocktails. They have so many bitters in the shop that will blow your mind, and make sure there’s space in your luggage for a shaker or a few glasses because it was so hard for me to not buy up the whole shop. A table opened up while I was shopping so me and my party sat down and received the greatest service we had received in all of New England. Andy and Mitchell killed it (to say the very least) on Saturday night. The Fizz house was busy and the cocktail lounge was full but they were available for any questions or recommendations. They were the greatest duo I ever saw and I’m not exaggerating. I was in a group with three women from out of town with tons of questions and they found a way to be there and guide them to the drinks that they’d love. We were all blown away by our cocktails and we can’t wait to make our way back to Portland. Thank you Mitchell and Andy you were both professional inviting and...